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Base Camp
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- Statistics:
- Date Hiked: November 6, 2010
- Miles Hiked: 8.0 (Estimate)
- Elevation Gain: 2,200' (Estimate)
- Hiking Partner(s): Brian
Kooienga
- Routes: WI2-3 (3 Pitches)
- Description:
- Brian and I decided to dust off the ice tools and crampons and see if
we remembered how to use them. We met in Denver at 4:00 am and
were hiking from the Glacier Gorge Trailhead at 6:00 am. The
approach to just above Black Lake took about 2.5 hours. Brian led
the first pitch of West Gully in May-like conditions and set up an
anchor just below a short curtain in the middle of the climb. I
worked my way up the curtain onto easy mixed terrain and then brought
Brian up to the base of the enduro pitch. Brian led the final
enduro pitch which required a small amount of simul-climbing. We
rappelled off the top of the route and traversed over to the top of our
second pitch rather than head skier's left to the walk off. We did
one more rappel to the base of the route and then hiked down to Black
Lake for lunch. As we sat near the lake enjoying crackers, cheese,
and ham, we watched another party of three climb the first pitch and
then bail off the route before attempting the short curtain.
Further to the right of West Gully on a route called Black Curtain, we
witnessed a large sheet of ice that had been baking in the sun for
several hours by now crash down the slopes. The hike out wore on
us as we weren't used to carrying our relatively heavier packs.
Our car-to-car time was 8.5 hours.
- Maps:
-
Click here
to view a
map of the area where this hike is located. I used the map from my
hike of Longs Peak via the Trough and simply added the West Gully route
in blue.
- Photographs:
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www.
just
hiking
.com
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